The Heart of Life
by stirringofmysoul
Summary: The start of Sydney and Adrian's life together is anything but ordinary. Sequel to Back To You
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"What are you doing?" Adrian asked; turning the power off on the television set.

"Working," Sydney replied, not taking her eyes off her laptop screen.

Adrian set the remote on the bedside table and rolled onto his side so he was facing his fiancée. "I thought you said Mr. Casey was incommunicado this week because he was on a retreat," he said.

"He is," Sydney answered, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Then what are you working on?" he asked, scooting closer to her as he attempted to peek at the screen.

"Wedding stuff," she clarified.

"That's not work. That's fun," Adrian replied. But after realizing that her complicated Excel document looked less than exciting he added, "Well, it's supposed to be fun."

Sydney finally looked over at him. "The guest list includes humans, Alchemists, witches, Moroi, and Dhampirs. Putting together a seating chart is work," she insisted. "Not to mention our wedding is at Court."

"No," Adrian said to her. "Do not start on the Court thing again. You and I agreed it'd be the safest location."

"It just makes things difficult," Sydney replied, though she knew he was right.

"Things aren't the same as they were the first time you were at Court. Lissa's reign has pushed very progressive ideals," he replied.

"Yeah, I know. You've told me," Sydney said with a sigh.

Now that Adrian knew about Hadley and he and Sydney were engaged he had relocated to Chicago to live with them full time. Adrian had taken to fatherhood the same way he took to most things he tried, with ease. Hadley completely adored him and Sydney knew their daughter was now a more well-rounded individual for having both her mother and her father in her life.

Then came time to try and explain all of this to Kenzie. After a few gasps and a lot of questions her friend accepted everything Sydney had thrown at her without hesitation. The only awkward moment came when she compared Adrian to Edward Cullen. Thankfully he had been out of earshot when the comment occurred.

Adrian encouraged Sydney to reconnect with her family. After months of internal struggle with the idea she finally called her mother. Once the tears and apologies were complete Mrs. Sage along with Sydney's older sister, Carly, came to Chicago for a visit. They were ecstatic to meet Hadley, instantly charmed by Adrian, and over the moon to be reunited with Sydney. Unfortunately this joy didn't extend through the entire family. Both Mr. Sage and Zoe, who was now a fully fledged Alchemist, refused to make the trip. Sydney wasn't surprised about her father's refusal to see her, but she had been holding out hope for her little sister.

Sydney thought her life would become less complicated now that she wasn't carrying around secrets anymore, but that wasn't the case. At first Adrian hinted that he'd like to move their family back to Court after the wedding. It would be safer for all of them and it was important to him that Hadley understand where she came from. Also, in Chicago they only had each other, but with family and friends around at Court they'd have more people to rely on for help.

Though his arguments were valid, Sydney panicked at the idea of reintegrating back into that world and explaining Hadley's true heritage to her. Sydney tried to ignore his hints. When that didn't work she moved on to making excuses. She had a job here. Mr. Casey had been good to her. How could she abandon him? Adrian easily shot holes in her flimsy excuses. She traveled all the time for Mr. Casey and could easily do her job via the internet. In the end they usually just grew frustrated with each other and dropped the subject.

"I can help you with this stuff," Adrian offered, changing the subject and bringing Sydney back to the present. "I know who on my side can't sit next to whom."

"Have at it," Sydney said. She slid the laptop over to him and stretched before cuddling next to his side, their disagreement temporarily forgotten.

Adrian leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I didn't know we knew this many people," he said with a snicker as his eyes focused on the screen.

She chuckled. "No, not we. You," she said to him. "My portion of the list consists of less than ten people."

"Ah," Adrian said with a sigh. "The struggles of being a royal."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "You poor thing," she told him. "I thought you said you were going to help me, not talk about your international popularity."

"I changed my mind. This is work," he decided. He closed the laptop and set the

machine on the ground.

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" Sydney asked with a faux sigh. She leaned back against the pillows behind her.

"How much fun would that be?" he replied. He rolled back over towards her and in one fluid motion was now hovering above her, resting each of his hands on either side of her head. He looked into her eyes and grinned.

Sydney chuckled and traced her fingers along her cheek. "Not much for you, I suppose," she replied.

He nuzzled his cheek against her palm. "I love you," he said softly.

Sydney melted against his touch. "I love you too," she replied. "Sorry," she added softly, referring to their earlier exchange. "Sometimes I forget I'm not on my own anymore."

"Then let me remind you," Adrian whispered. He leaned down to press his body against hers, his arms now slipping around her torso. He let his hands slide down before resting them on her lower back.

Sydney's arms snaked around his neck and she smiled as she felt his familiar form. She leaned up and pressed their lips together, deepening the kiss rather quickly. When she thought about all the years she wasted not being with him it overwhelmed her sometimes.

Adrian knew this about her and when the kiss ended he pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm right here," he assured her softly. "I know some of this stuff going on right now seems like a lot, but I'm here. I'm here."

"Sorry," she whispered again, her grip on him tightening.

"Don't apologize," he said softly. He kissed the corner of her mouth gently. "Just believe me," he murmured.

"I do," Sydney said softly. Her mouth covered his again and they kissed slowly and gently, getting lost in one another.

"Mmm, we should get some sleep," Adrian murmured softly when they paused to take a breath.

"Yeah, you're right," she whispered in agreement.

"Oh, say it again," he quietly teased her, rolling off of her to switch off the lamp.

"Good night, Adrian," Sydney said with a soft laugh.

"Good night, my love," Adrian replied.

Before she even had a chance to get cold he pulled her against him and ran his hand up and down her side soothingly as she fell asleep. She wasn't the only one making up for lost time.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you very much for the favoriting and kind reviews. I appreciate it!_

Chapter Two

The next morning Sydney awoke to a flittering sound in the living room. She lifted her head from the pillow and cracked one eye open to look at the clock.

7:15. Hadley was up and ready to start the day. Despite her age she was a very self sufficient little girl. She could entertain herself for hours with little to no adult supervision. But that didn't mean she shouldn't have some. Slowly and quietly Sydney untangled herself from Adrian's arms. It wasn't that early, but she knew he'd want to sleep in a little while longer. Once she was freed from his limbs she slipped out of bed and grabbed her robe before heading into the living room.

Hadley was standing at her easel, concentrating very hard a picture she was creating with her markers. Sydney didn't think her daughter even noticed her presence until she turned around and grinned. "Mommy!" she squealed.

Sydney smiled back, putting her finger to her lips. "Shh, daddy's still asleep," she told her.

"Oh, okay," Hadley whispered this time. She put the cap back on her marker and set it on the coffee table before running over to her mother and hugging her legs.

Sydney bent down to scoop her up into her arms. "Good morning," she said, cuddling the little girl to her chest.

Hadley fit herself against Sydney, resting her cheek on her shoulder. "Hi, hi…did you have a good sleep?" she asked politely.

Sydney chuckled softly. Hadley was like a mini adult sometimes, always ready to exchange pleasantries. "I did sleep well," she told her. She leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Did you?" she asked her.

"Yes, yes," Hadley confirmed. She looked up at her mother. "But then I had enough of them so I came to draw."

Sydney sat down on the couch, keeping the little girl in her lap. "I can see that," she said and looked over at the easel. "What are you working on?"

"My dog," Hadley explained to her.

Sydney raised an eyebrow. "You have a dog?" she asked her curiously.

Hadley giggled. "Not yets, but daddy said I can has one," she explained to her mother.

"Oh, did he," Sydney replied. Ever since he had been reunited with Hadley Adrian wanted to give into every whim his daughter expressed. While she knew he was simply trying to make up for lost time with her Sydney was little worried he'd end up spoiling her.

"But not until I'm older," Hadley explained. "That's when I can gets the dog."

Sydney felt a bit better when she added that part. She smoothed some hair out of Hadley's eyes. "I think that's reasonable," she replied.

"Uh huh. Then I can takes care of him betters," Hadley chirped with a smile.

Sydney returned the smile and nuzzled their noses together. "I agree," she said to her.

"Are you stayings with us today?" Hadley asked hopefully. With Mr. Casey having been out of touch for the past few days Sydney had been working from home. And on more than one occasion she had put family outings before her work.

"No, not today. I have to go to a meeting in the city," Sydney said to her.

"Oh," Hadley replied with a pout. She had been used to having the attention of her both her parents lately.

"But you and daddy will have fun. I think he said something about the park…" Sydney said, looking down at her.

"Ooo yeah!" Hadley squealed happily. At the same time she bounced up in Sydney's lap the marker she had been using jumped up off the table and uncapped itself.

While Hadley didn't notice this, Sydney had. She had noticed it a lot lately. When Hadley's emotions got extreme things…happened. Sydney had always feared this day would come. As if being part human and vampire wasn't complicated enough Hadley had inherited Sydney's aptitude for magic. Though Sydney was obviously much more tolerant of vampires, no longer thinking they were unnatural holy terrors, the idea of a magic wielding Dhampir scared her. It was unheard of, or so the history books suggested. If anyone ever found out about Hadley's abilities they'd want to her take her away from Sydney and Adrian and test her. Horrible images of science labs and Hadley strapped to a table flashed through her head. She could not let that happen.

"Hi girls," Adrian said as he walked into the living room. Hadley scooted off of Sydney's lap and ran towards her father. He bent down to meet her halfway and gathered her up in his arms. While they were saying good morning Sydney discreetly capped the offending marker.

"Good morning, Adrian," Sydney said, standing up once the task was done. Though they had been together for awhile and had a child together Sydney still wasn't good with the whole pet name thing.

"Sage," he said back with a smile. "I heard all this noise out here and though I was missing a party," he said, looking down at his daughter.

Hadley shook her head. "No party. Just playin," she assured her father.

Adrian let out a dramatic sigh of relief. "Well, thank goodness," he said to her. He kissed her nose, eliciting a giggle from the little girl. "How about we have some breakfast before mommy goes to work?" he suggested.

"Can I helps?" Hadley asked him. She enjoyed having grown up tasks to do.

"Of course," Adrian said to her. "You can be my sous chef," he explained.

"Sous chef," Hadley repeated slowly. She didn't know what it meant, but it sounded important. "Okay!" she happily agreed.

"I'm going to wash up while you do that," Sydney informed the pair. She walked over to give Adrian a kiss hello.

"Sure you have to go back to work today?" he asked, pouting his lips out slightly.

"Not if you keep making that face," she said with a chuckle, giving the pout a gentle kiss.

"Ah, yes…my plan is working," he joked.

"Try not to burn the place down," Sydney teased. She headed down the hall to the bathroom while the father daughter duo got to work in the kitchen.

After showering, dressing, and taking care of her stubborn hair Sydney was ready for her meeting. Mr. Casey had set up a private viewing with a local gallery Sydney had worked with before. These particular pieces were rather controversial. The artists' show wasn't until later in the week, but she was getting a preview.

Sydney joined her fiancée and daughter in the kitchen for breakfast. She flipped through her notes while she ate and Adrian and Hadley discussed their plans for the day.

"What time do you think you'll be done?" Adrian asked her.

Sydney looked up from her notepad. "Well, the appointment is at 9:00," she said to him. She tilted her head to the side. "Maybe noon?"

"We're going to the park so why don't you meet us for lunch?" Adrian suggested.

"Not if you're going to eat at that creepy hot dog cart," Sydney replied.

"It's not creepy," Adrian defended his lunch venue choice.

"The vendor is missing a finger," she pointed out.

"He lost when he worked in construction," Adrian replied.

Sydney laughed. "I didn't know you guys were so friendly," she said.

"Everyone likes daddy," Hadley piped in.

"See, Sage…everyone likes me," Adrian said with a smirk.

She shook her head. "I think the jury is still out on that one," she replied. She looked at her watch. "I need to get going. Have fun today, okay?" she said as she got up to her feet. She packed her things away in her briefcase.

"We wills," Hadley said. She reached her arms up for Sydney to hug her good bye.

Sydney leaned down and wrapped her arms around her. "Be a good girl," she said softly. After she let go of her daughter she gave Adrian a hug good bye. "You too," she added.

"I should be a good girl?" he joked as he returned her embrace.

"No, just be good," she clarified with a snicker. She pecked his lips and he returned the kiss.

After putting her jacket on she grabbed her keys and purse and headed downstairs to retrieve her car. Sydney was excited about today's preview. She had read a lot about the artist on the internet. He was getting a lot of buzz, both good and bad. She was eager to formulate her own opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sydney made the trip to the gallery with fifteen minutes to spare. Noting the Starbucks across the street she decided to make a pit stop before her meeting. As she joined the line a customer, who appeared to be in a hurry, bumped right into, splashing some steamy milk onto her jacket. Sydney winced and took a step back.

"I'm so sorry," the woman apologized. "I'm going to be late and I just…"

"It's okay," Sydney assured her. "I know how busy things can get."

"Oh, your jacket. I didn't ruin it, did I?" the woman asked nervously.

"No, no…it's leather. It'll wipe right off," Sydney replied.

"Here. Let me," the woman said and grabbed a napkin to wipe the spill clean. "Let me buy you your drink," she offered.

"You really don't have to," Sydney said. "It was just an accident."

"No, please…here," the woman said and slipped a five dollar bill into Sydney's purse. "It's the least I can do for being rude."

"You weren't rude, but thank you very much," Sydney said to her.

"Okay, if I don't go now I'm going to be really late. Have a good day," the woman told her.

"You too," Sydney replied. She shook her head and stepped up to the counter and ordered when it was her turn. After securing her drink she headed across the street to the gallery.

She pushed the door open and smiled at the receptionist. "Hi, Amanda," Sydney greeted the familiar face.

"Sydney!" Amanda said with a smile. "Long time, no see. How are you?" she asked her kindly.

"I'm doing well," Sydney said to her.

Before she could add anything else Amanda squealed, "You have a really big ring on!"

Sydney looked down at her ring finger. "Oh, yes…I'm engaged," she said, chuckling at Amanda's enthusiasm.

Amanda got out from behind her desk and took Sydney's hand into hers. "Let me see. Wow. Beautiful. Someone really loves you," she said. "I didn't even know you were dating anyone."

"Thanks," Sydney said. "Yeah, it's a complicated story," she said with a chuckle. "But we're very happy."

"Ooo yay, when is the wedding?" Amanda asked.

"Amanda, what did I tell you?" Mr. Bradley, the gallery owner, asked as he walked into the lobby.

"Oh, sorry," Amanda apologized and took her seat. "Congratulations," she mouthed to Sydney.

"Welcome Sydney. It's nice to see you," Mr. Bradley said, offering his hand.

"Likewise," Sydney said, shaking his hand firmly in hers. "I'm looking forward to seeing the new pieces you have."

"I think Mr. Casey is going to like them a lot," Mr. Bradley said. "They are a bit edgier than usual, but I believe a few items will round out his collection nicely."

"Mr. Casey told me the artist would be here," Sydney replied. She pulled her notepad out of her briefcase.

"He is here, but he asked that you view the work first and then meet," Mr. Bradley said.

Though she wasn't an artist herself she worked with enough, and lived with one, to know that this practice wasn't unusual. A lot of creative people liked letting their work speak for itself.

"Of course," Sydney replied with a nod. "Please," she said and gestured for him to guide her.

"Right this way," Mr. Bradley said.

Sydney took a few more sips of her coffee before depositing the cup in a trash can. Mr. Bradley pulled a curtain aside and Sydney walked into the main gallery.

"I'll be in my office if you need me," Mr. Bradley said, leaving her alone in the room.

"Yes, thank you," Sydney replied. She looked around at the walls which were covered from top to bottom. To say that the work was unique would be an understatement. The artist used found objects to create very 'different' paintings.

She was a bit surprised Mr. Casey was interested in this particular kind of work. He usually had a much more classic taste. Mr. Bradley was right, though, this would definitely enhance his already impressive collection.

Sydney went from piece to piece, taking notes for over an hour. She knew people that used their phones to record their thoughts, but the physical act of writing worked better for her. She would have liked to snap a few pictures, but that was generally frowned upon in these situations. And if anything leaked to the public on accident she'd feel terrible. She reviewed her scribbles and decided there were two pieces she wanted to suggest to her boss, price permitting. Not that Mr. Casey ever seemed to worry about money.

"Ms. Sage?" a voice behind her broke her concentration.

"Yes?" she asked, turning around after tucking her notepad back into her briefcase.

"I'm Tim Dunne, the artist," he said, offering his hand once the space between them had closed.

She smiled and shook his hand politely. "It's very nice to meet you. I've read a lot about you online," she said.

He chuckled. "Hopefully only good things," he replied as he let go of her hand.

"Mostly good," she said. "You do have some critics out there."

"If I didn't then I probably would be much of an artist, right?" he said to her.

"I suppose that's true," she agreed with him.

"I was very excited when your boss contacted me. He's very well known in the art world," Tim said. "Thanks to you I'd assume," he added.

"Oh, I'm just doing my job," she said modestly.

"Nonetheless. Do you see anything that would appeal to him?" he asked eagerly.

She smiled at his nervousness. "Yes, I do. There are two pieces that would complement his collection nicely," she said. "Do you have a price list or…?"

"I can have my assistant email it to you," he assured her. "There are a few pieces I won't be unveiling until the opening of the show. I think they might catch your eye."

"I'd love to see them," Sydney said to him.

"I'll have my assistant round up two tickers for you then. It's Friday night," Tim said.

"Perfect," Sydney agreed. Mr. Casey was still out of touch so he wouldn't be expecting a report anytime soon. She'd have time to see the new pieces and then make her final recommendations. "My fiancée is an artist too. I'm sure he'd enjoy seeing your work."

"What's his medium?" Tim asked curiously.

"Painting mostly," she replied.

"Great. I look forward to meeting him," Tim said. "If you want to give me your contact information I can get you all set up," he added.

"Yes, of course," Sydney said. She unclipped the pouch in the front of her briefcase and produced her business card.

Tim took the card and tucked it into his pocket. "It was wonderful to meet you, Ms. Sage," he said to her.

"Likewise," she said with a smile. "I'll see you on Friday."

Tim walked her to the lobby and then returned back into the gallery.

"Isn't he soooo cute?" Amanda gushed when Tim was out of earshot. "I just want to squeeze him," she told her.

Sydney laughed. "He's attractive," she agreed. "Does he have a girlfriend?" she asked.

Amanda's face took on a pained expression. "He's dating his witchy assistant," she said glumly.

Sydney wasn't certain if the girl really was unpleasant or if Amanda was just jealous. "That's unfortunate," she said to her. "I guess I'll find out for myself on Friday."

"Ooo you're coming to the show? Fun," Amanda said, back to her bubbly self. "I'll see you then."

"See you then," Sydney echoed. "Have a good day," she told her before she pushed the door open and headed back outside. She put on her sunglasses and headed to her car. She drove the short distance to the park to meet up with Adrian and Hadley.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you for the reviews and follows. Enjoy!_

Chapter Four

Sydney spotted Adrian holding court with the other mothers at the park. She chuckled and shook her head. He always enjoyed being the center of the attention.

"Do I need to get in line to talk to you?" Sydney joked, taking a seat beside him.

"Yeah, take a number," Adrian teased her. She and the other mothers exchanged hellos before they excused themselves.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

"Hi yourself," he said and leaned in to give her a kiss. "How'd it go?" he asked.

Sydney pulled back after the kiss ended. "Very well, actually. The stuff was a little weirder than I expected, but I saw a few things with potential," she told him. "How's it going here?" she asked.

"No tears, cuts, or broken bones, so I think it's been a successful venture so far," Adrian said to her.

Sydney looked over at the playground and saw Hadley waiting her turn in line for the slide. She waved at her when she caught her eye. Hadley grinned happily and waved back.

Sydney turned her attention back to Adrian. "Tim invited us to his show on Friday. Are you interested?" she asked him.

"Free food, right?" Adrian asked. "Probably champagne too. You don't have to ask me twice," he said with a chuckle.

Sydney laughed. "Gee, and I thought you might appreciate the art aspect," she said to him.

"Oh, well…there's that too," he added with a wink.

"Maybe it will inspire you to get back into the studio," Sydney suggested to him. He hadn't worked on anything in quite some time.

"Hey, what are you talking about? I draw with Hadley all the time," he said, clearly trying to keep things light.

"You know what I mean," Sydney said to him.

His eyes darkened a bit. "I'm fine," he said to her. "I'm hungry. You must be too," Adrian said abruptly as he got to his feet.

Before Sydney could respond Adrian had already crossed the playground meet Hadley at the slide. He caught their daughter in his arms as she reached the bottom. Apparently the subject was closed. Sydney stood up and joined the pair.

"Mommy!" Hadley said happily and reached over for her. Adrian shifted the little girl in his arms and handed her over to Sydney.

"Hi you," she greeted her. She kissed her cheek.

"Did you see me on the slide?" Hadley asked. "I went like real fast."

"You did go really fast," Sydney confirmed. "Did you have a good time?"

"I dids," Hadley confirmed. She continued to talk the whole ride home about the fun adventures she had at the park that afternoon.

Sydney listened carefully and responded when appropriate while Adrian remained quiet. She hated when he did this. It wasn't like she was attacking him or anything. She just wanted him to help. Maybe the spirit was getting to him, but she knew pushing the issue would just annoy him (she was the same way).

"Lunch?" Hadley asked after they were all back in the apartment.

"I was thinking grilled cheese," Adrian said, finally opening his mouth for the first time in twenty minutes.

"And a salads?" Hadley asked him hopefully.

"You are the only little girl I know that wants a salad with her meal," he said with a chuckle. He looked over at Sydney. "There's no denying she's your daughter."

"I think she only likes the ranch dressing," Sydney said with a chuckle.

Adrian shook his head. "Alright," he said clapping his hands together. "I'll work on the sandwiches, Mommy will make the salads, and you will go wash your hands," he instructed.

While Hadley skipped down the hall to the bathroom Sydney and Adrian worked in a comfortable silence as they prepared lunch. A silence that only lasted until Sydney heard Hadley squeaking from the other room.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Hadley exclaimed.

Sydney set down the carrots in her hands and exited the kitchen. "Are you okay?" she asked her. Her tone didn't indicate that she was hurt. Sydney poked her head into the bathroom and saw water shooting up out of the faucet. "Turn the water off, Had," she said to her.

"It is off!" Hadley exclaimed and hid behind her mother, trying to escape getting splashed.

Sydney twisted the knobs on the sink. They were off. "It must be a leak," she said to her. "Tell daddy to turn the water off." Hadley ran out of the bathroom calling to her father. After a few seconds the water stopped shooting. Sydney leaned down to inspect closer. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

"Did it stop?" Adrian asked, joining Sydney.

"Yeah, that was weird," Sydney said with a shake of her head. She looked over at Adrian. "We should probably have someone look at it."

"I can look at it," Adrian insisted.

She snickered. "Yeah, so can Hadley, but it doesn't mean it'll get fixed," she joked.

"You wound me, Sage," Adrian replied. "But yeah…you're right. I'll call someone."

"I'm hungrrrrrrry," Hadley whined from the kitchen.

They both gave each other a look. "Someone's fussy," they said in unison.

"We better get some salad in her before she starts biting," Adrian said with a laugh.

Sydney's face paled a little at the mention of biting. "Don't joke like that," she scolded him.

He rolled his eyes. "Sweetheart, Dhampirs don't bite," he reminded her.

Sydney didn't reply as she walked back into the kitchen and set up Hadley with her lunch. She couldn't shake the comment Adrian had made. He was right, she was overreacting, but the idea that Hadley was half vampire still wound her up sometimes.

Adrian scooped up a sleepy Hadley, despite her protests that she was fine, and brought her to her bedroom to take a nap after they had finished eating. Sydney sat the kitchen table and checked to see if Tim's assistant had sent her the price list and the tickets for Friday's opening.

Before she could get gmail open she felt Adrian behind her. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked softly.

"I wasn't mad at you," she replied. She reached her hand behind her and slid her fingers through his hair soothingly.

"Can I have a kiss then?" he asked, pressing his lips to her neck.

"I don't know," Sydney replied. "Your lips seem a little busy at the moment," she teased.

"Never too busy for yours," Adrian murmured softly against her ear.

"So what you're telling me is I should probably turn off my laptop," she said, taking a bit of a swallow. She abandoned all attempts to get her email open.

"Mmm, I like where your head is at," Adrian replied as Sydney turned around and leaned up to press her lips to his.

"Satisfied?" Sydney asked, slightly pulling her lips away from his after the soft kiss ended. She smiled and looked up into his bright green eyes.

"Oh, not even close," Adrian said with a chuckle. He crushed their lips together, moving his mouth passionately against hers. Sydney groaned softly, returning the kiss with an equal amount of heat. "You're getting a little loud there, sweetheart," he teased her as he kneaded her bottom lip between this teeth.

Sydney's cheeks blushed pink. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Don't ever apologize for letting me know how good I make you feel," he whispered back. "Come on," he said softly, tugging her up to her feet.

The pair slowly fumbled their way back to their bedroom. Adrian kicked the door closed behind them. He scooped Sydney up into his arms and leaned her up against the wall as he pressed his body to fit against hers.

Sydney panted softly as their bodies connected. She pressed her lips against his jaw, kissing slowly until she reached his ear. She flicked out her tongue, sliding it along slowly before latching her lips to his lobe.

"Uh," Adrian murmured as his hand trailed along Sydney's side and then slid up to cup her breasts through her blouse, his other hand remained on her waist, holding her up against the wall.

"That feels good," Sydney said softly against his ear. She rolled her hips slowly against his.

This elicited another groan from her fiancée. "I like it when you talk to me," Adrian whispered as he continued massaging the soft mound.

"Oh, um, I…" Sydney said suddenly tongue tied.

He laughed softly. "Sorry," he apologized. He slid his hand from her chest to rest it on her waist. He held her tightly against him and carried her to their carefully made bed, laying her down on the mattress. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he murmured. He nuzzled his nose between the valley of her breasts.

Sydney squirmed underneath his weight. She moved her hands to slide down his back, catching the hem of his shirt between her fingers and pulling it up, her fingernails scratching gently as she went. Adrian leaned up long enough to duck out of his t-shirt. He leaned back down once the fabric was out of the way and unbuttoned her blouse. She reached behind her back to unclasp her bra.

"Oh, no…allow me," Adrian said with a smirk. He used his fingers to unhook the snap. Sydney wiggled her arms out of the straps. "Fuck, you're gorgeous," he murmured at her half naked form.

Sydney grinned and leaned up to press their now bare chests together. "Will you touch me again?" she asked softly.

"God, yes," Adrian said to her. He settled one of her legs between his and let his hand rest on her chest again. He grinded his body against hers as his palm covered her flesh and massaged.

"Yeah, more…" she whimpered when his thumb flickered across her nipple, her hips rising and falling in time with his.

Adrian covered her lips with his, parting them so their tongues could tangle together. He was so warm and delicious inside of her mouth. She used her fingers to unsnap the button on his jeans and tug on the zipper. The next few moments were a haze of clothes as they shed each other's until they were both completely naked.

Adrian reached over in the bedside table for a condom. He tore the foil with his teeth. But before he could slide it on to himself Sydney plucked it from his hand. "Lemme," she said to him.

"By all means," Adrian replied.

Sydney's hand snaked down his chest and then grasped him in her hand. She slid up and down his length a few times, enjoying the noises coming from deep in his throat. On her next swipe she rolled the condom on. Adrian murmured softly and sucked on the crook of her neck, his fangs just barely flicking against her soft skin. Sydney gasped a little.

"I love you so much," Adrian whispered, rubbing his throbbing hardness against her leg.

"I love you too," she murmured back. She pressed her body up against him and then whispered into his ear. "I want you inside me."

"Oh," Adrian said softly. "That's my girl," he said, clearly delighted at her direct approach. He slowly pushed her legs further apart before slipping inside of her in one fluid motion.

"Yes, oh god yes…" Sydney whimpered softly as he filled her completely. She dug her nails into his back.

Adrian gave her a few moments to adjust before thrusting in and out of her, slowly at first. Sydney clung to him like a second skin. Everything about him was perfect. She knew no one else could ever make her feel this way. "More…" she encouraged him softly.

Adrian didn't need to be told twice. He increased the speed, pushing her closer to the edge. "My girl, my girl…" he murmured over and over again. "Sydney, Sydney…"

"Adrian!" she cried out as she tipped over the edge. Adrian was a second behind her, his release pulsing through her.

"Oh, oh…" Sydney murmured as she tried to catch her breath. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. As Adrian slipped out of her she felt a severe emptiness.

Adrian removed the condom and tossed it in the trash before rolling over and snuggling her against his body. "You're damn sexy, you know that?" he said softly.

"Thanks," she said, still panting a little.

"Need a nap, baby?" he asked with a chuckle. He kissed lightly on her cheek.

"Just you. I just need you," Sydney said with a sigh. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

He held her gaze and smiled back. "Just you too," he murmured. They kissed for a few more minutes.

"Hadley's going to be up soon," Sydney said after his lips left hers.

"Shower?" he said to her. He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yes, but alone," Sydney said with a laugh. She playfully covered his face with her palm.

"Yeah, I guess it would be hard to resist my hot body," Adrian teased her as they both sat up.

"You're so modest," Sydney said with a snicker. She stretched her arms above her head and got up, retrieving her robe.

"Hey, Sage…" he said to her.

"Hmm?" she asked as she slipped her arms through the sleeves.

"I'm looking forward to Friday," he said. "It'll be nice to spend some time together."

She looked back at him and smiled. "I think so too." She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. "I love you," she told him.

"You've told me that about ten times today," he said, but was clearly smiling like an idiot.

"That's because I never want you to forget," Sydney replied with a dopey smile of her own.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Do you know that would make this easier?" Jill asked Sydney.

"What's that?" Sydney asked her as she scrolled through another page of bridesmaid dresses.

"If you lived here at Court," Jill answered. "Then we could just go dressing shopping."

Sydney narrowed her eyes and looked directly into her web cam. "Did Adrian ask you to say something?" she asked her.

"What? No," the Moroi princess said in reply. "I mean, I know he wants to move back here, but he hasn't said anything to me."

Sydney and Jill had spent the better part of the afternoon on Skype, emailing each other links of possible dresses. Carly and Kenzie would be standing up on her side while Jill and Eddie would be Adrian's attendants.

"We're having the wedding at Court," Sydney reminded her, as if that would fix the current situation.

"How is that helping what we're trying to do right now?" Jill asked her. "Do you think I'd look good in strapless?"

"I'm sure you could pull it off…it just might get annoying after an hour," Sydney mused.

"Yeah, I don't want to have to adjust my boobs all night. I'm glad you picked red. Everyone looks good in red," Jill said to her.

"At least I did something right," Sydney said with a chuckle. She rubbed her eyes. "Okay, I have to stop looking. All this scrolling is making my eyes tired."

"What's left to plan?" Jill asked, abandoning the website she had been browsing.

"Let's see…" Sydney said. "We have the venue, food, music," she ticked off. "Oh, dessert. I don't know if I want a cake or a sweet table or what. Then dresses for you, Carly, Kenzie, and Hadley."

"Is your dress ready?" Jill asked her.

"It's not in yet," Sydney said to her. "Probably in a few weeks or so. Then I can have it fitted."

Jill sighed. "I wish I could see it," she said.

"No one has seen it but my mother," Sydney told her. "I want it to be a surprise."

"But I'm studying fashion," Jill said to her. "It'd be like a professional seeing it."

Sydney chuckled. "Nice try," she said. "But you're going to have to wait like everyone else."

"You can't blame me for making the attempt," Jill said with a laugh. "So what do you want to do about the dress?"

"Well, since you don't have to match Kenzie and Carly exactly I trust you to pick out something on your own," Sydney said to her. She knew Jill had a good eye.

"When are you guys coming to Court again?" Jill asked her.

"Adrian's coming soon, but I won't be there before the wedding," Sydney explained.

"Hmm, do you think he'll want to go dress shopping?" Jill asked.

Sydney snickered. "I'm going to guess no," she replied.

"Eh, I figured as much. I'll just make Eddie go with me," Jill replied.

"How is Mr. Wonderful?" she teased her.

"Woooonderful," Jill replied with a laugh.

Sydney laughed. "You guys are too cute," she replied. She glanced up at the clock. "Hadley's going to be up from her nap and I still have to make dinner."

"Boo. I miss you," Jill said to her.

"I miss you too. We'll talk soon," Sydney promised.

"Okay, bye. Tell everyone hi," she replied.

"Same," Sydney said to her. "Bye." She closed the Skype session and turned off her laptop.

As she was working on dinner the front door opened. "Hey!" Adrian's greeting floated into the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm in the kitchen," Sydney replied. She heard a lot of fumbling in the other room. "What are you doing in there?" She poked her head into the living room.

"I just bought some new art stuff," Adrian answered.

"Really? That's great…" she said, then realized it was all stuff for Hadley. "Doesn't she have paint and markers?"

"Well, yeah, but this is different stuff. Top of the line," he explained as he set up his purchases on the coffee table.

"What about stuff for you?" she asked him.

"Maybe she'll share," Adrian joked.

"But you haven't worked on anything in such a long time…" she started, but he interrupted her.

"I don't have a lot of time to work on anything right now. It's not like there's something wrong," Adrian said to her.

"If you need some time to yourself I'm sure Kenzie wouldn't mind watching Hadley once a week or so," Sydney offered.

"I don't need time for myself. I had years to myself. And now that I have the time to spend with Hadley I'm going to spend it with her, not painting, okay?" he said to her.

"Adrian, I know you feel guilty, but you don't have to...you didn't know…" she tried to reassure him.

Adrian looked up at the clock. "Ah, I didn't realize how late it was. I'm going to wake Hadley up from her nap and get her ready for dinner," he said. He walked past Sydney and into Hadley's bedroom.

Sydney sighed and turned her attention to getting dinner on the table. At least she couldn't screw that up. "Hey, sleeping beauty," Sydney greeted her daughter when Adrian and the little girl entered the kitchen.

"Hi Mommy," Hadley said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She stayed cuddled to Adrian's chest.

"Are you feeling okay?" Sydney asked her. Sometimes when Hadley didn't feel well she was a little clingy.

"Yesy, just getting the sleepy out," she explained to her mother.

"Well, I hope the sleepy leaves room for hungry because dinner is ready," Sydney replied.

"Oh, yes," Hadley assured her with a bob of her head.

"I talked to Jill," Sydney told Adrian after they were all seated at the table. "She's just going to find a dress on her own."

Adrian nodded. "That probably makes the most sense," he agreed. "How's she doing?"

"She seemed fine. She says hi and she misses you," Sydney reported.

"It's been awhile since we've seen her," Adrian replied.

"I miss Auntie Jill," Hadley pouted, causing mashed potatoes to dribble down her lip.

Sydney grabbed a napkin and wiped off her chin. "You'll see her soon," she assured her.

"Jill would probably love baby-sitting Hadley," Adrian said.

"Jill's in college and probably has more pressing things to do with her time," Sydney reasoned.

"I'll ask her when I see her," Adrian said. "You're still okay with me going, right?"

"Of course I am. It's only for a long weekend," Sydney said to him.

"And you're sure you can't come with?" Adrian asked.

Sydney shook her head. "I have two appointments set up already," she said to him.

"I could take Hadley with me," Adrian replied.

"You'll be busy. It's just easier for her to stay with me and Kenzie," Sydney said.

"You do realize you're going to have to go back there, right?" Adrian said to her.

"Yeah, for the wedding," Sydney replied.

He sighed and went back to concentrating on his dinner. Sydney groaned inwardly. She was tired of having the same fight over and over. She had been away from that world for so long and she really didn't want to go back.

Later after Hadley was in bed she and Adrian stood side by side washing and drying dishes.

"The plumber said nothing was wrong with the sink in the bathroom. It must have been a freak thing," Sydney said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah, sure it was," Adrian mumbled as he took a clean plate from Sydney's hand.

"Pardon?" Sydney asked him.

"Hadley did it…made it happen," Adrian said to her.

Sydney did her best to look shocked, though she had been thinking the same thing. "How could Hadley have done it?" she asked him.

Adrian rolled his eyes. "You know as well as I do she has certain…abilities," he said.

"But Dhampirs don't posses magic," Sydney said to him.

"Sydney, you're an Alchemist…" he started.

"Ex-Alchemist," she said quickly.

"Ex-Alchemist," he corrected himself. "Who has magic. Face it. So does our daughter."

"Why didn't you say anything to me before?" Sydney asked him.

"Because I knew you'd flip out. And for the record why didn't you say anything to me?" Adrian asked her. He set down the now dried dish on the counter.

"Because I knew you'd flip out. Do you understand what could happen to her if anyone found out?" Sydney asked him.

"Do you understand how dangerous it could be if we just let this go uncontrolled?" Adrian replied. "If we were at Court the situation could be monitored."

"You mean she could be a lab rat," Sydney said to him.

"I wouldn't let that happen," Adrian said.

"And neither will I, which is why we aren't moving back there," Sydney said firmly.

"Who put you in charge?" Adrian asked her. "You make me sound like some kind of monster. I do everything for that little girl."

"She's my daughter," Sydney replied.

"No, she's OUR daughter," Adrian exclaimed. "Just because you hid her for four years doesn't make her any less mine."

"I did it for her own good," Sydney huffed. "And I'm doing this for her own good."

"No! No, you're not. You're doing this all for you," Adrian snapped.

"That's not true!" Sydney said to him.

"I always thought you were brave, Sydney, but you're not. You're selfish and you're a coward," Adrian snapped.

Sydney abandoned the rest of the dishes in the sink and looked over at Adrian. "Of course I'm scared. She's just a little girl and it's my fault she can do these things!" she hissed at him.

Adrian's expression softened. "Sydney, no…it's not your fault. What she can do isn't bad," he said to her.

"It's not normal," Sydney replied. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the floor.

"What's so great about being normal?" Adrian asked. He rested his hand on her shoulder. "Neither one of us are normal."

She looked up to meet his eyes. "That's why I want her to be normal…so she doesn't have to suffer like we did," she explained to him.

Adrian stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. "I know, sweetheart," he said softly.

"Please don't say anything to anyone at Court while you're there," she murmured into his neck as he held her.

Adrian sighed. "I wouldn't do that," he assured her. "But please, think about how this could help her."

"It could hurt her," Sydney insisted.

"Okay, right now is not the time to talk about this," Adrian said softly. "But we will talk about this again," Adrian said to her. "Because I don't want any secrets between us. We had enough of those for a lifetime. Deal?"

"Deal," she whispered back.

"And you were right earlier. I do carry around guilt about missing so much of her life," Adrian said softly.

"But you shouldn't," Sydney insisted. "You're allowed to have time for yourself."

"I'll deal with it in my own way, but right now being with Hadley is what I need," he said.

Sydney nodded her head. "Okay, I understand," she replied.

"Now we're going to finish these dishes and then watch some tv and relax, okay?" Adrian said into her hair.

"TV rots your brain," Sydney teased him.

"And being a know it all makes you a killjoy," Adrian teased her back.

She looked up at him and crinkled up her face. He laughed and leaned in to peck her lips. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she said back, after she had returned the kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for the reviews and follows. It means so much to me!_

Chapter Six

"Are you almost ready?" Sydney asked Adrian.

"Just like two minutes," Adrian replied.

Sydney sighed and sat back down on the couch. Adrian was the only guy in the world that took longer to get ready than his date. Tonight was the night of Tim's opening and they were going to be late if Adrian didn't move it.

"Do you think it's his hair or a tie?" Kenzie asked. She would be baby-sitting Hadley for the evening. Sydney had a feeling her apartment was going to look like it got hit by a tornado when she arrived back later that night.

"Hair, for sure," Sydney replied. "It takes forever to get that unkempt look," she snickered.

"You'd think you'd just need to roll out of bed," Kenzie said with a laugh.

Adrian walked into the living room with a tie in each hand. "Which one do you like better?" he asked, holding up the accessories.

Sydney and Kenzie looked at each other and busted out laughing.

"What?" he asked, looking at the ties. "I like both of these."

"The one on the left," Sydney said to him. She hadn't even looked, she just wanted to go.

"Your hair looks good," Kenzie said, giving him at thumbs up.

"Um, thanks," Adrian said before walking back down the hall to the bathroom.

"Why is you laughing so much?" Hadley asked them.

This only made the two women laugh more. "Nothing, Hadley," Sydney assured her.

Finally ten minutes later Adrian emerged. "Ready to go?" he asked her.

"I've been ready," Sydney pointed out. She stood up from her spot on the couch. "Have fun, you two."

"Bye, baby doll," Adrian said, leaning down to give Hadley a hug.

"Haves fun. Be safe," Hadley chirped as she hugged her parents good-bye.

Sydney snickered at Hadley's comment. "We will. You be good," she told her.

Adrian slid his arm around Sydney's waist as they walked out of the apartment. "How long do you think this will last?" he asked her.

Sydney punched the button on the elevator. "Probably a few hours. Why? Are you bored already?" she asked him.

"Oh, no," Adrian said to her. "I just thought we could get a drink or something afterwards. Make the most of our alone time."

Adrian would be leaving for Court in a few days and Sydney didn't want to admit quite how much she was going to miss him. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," she agreed with him. She leaned over and pecked his cheek.

…

"Whoa, Sydney, hi," Amanda said when Adrian and Sydney walked into the gallery. "Can I take your coat?" she asked.

"Thanks, Amanda. Amanda, this is Adrian. Adrian, Amanda," Sydney introduced the pair.

"Nice to meet you," Amanda said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too," Adrian replied, smiling back. He took off his coat and helped Sydney out of hers.

While Adrian's back was turned Amanda mouthed, 'He's so hot!' in Sydney's direction. Sydney laughed and rolled her eyes a little.

"Enjoy the evening," Amanda said with a smile pasted back on her face as she checked the coats.

Sydney and Adrian walked into the main gallery. The room was wall to wall people. "I hope you're not claustrophobic," Sydney mused.

"This guy is a bigger deal than I thought," Adrian commented.

"Maybe one day you'll attract this kind of crowd," Sydney said.

"Yeah, maybe…" he said, but it was clear he wasn't listening to her.

"We should walk around a little. I already picked out some things for Mr. Casey, but Tim said there'd be new stuff too," Sydney said to him.

Adrian remained quiet for most of their loop around the room. Sydney took a few notes, but didn't really see anything else she thought Mr. Casey would like.

"What are you thinking about?" Sydney asked him.

Adrian shook his head. "Nothing, really. This stuff is just weird," he said.

"Shh, you don't want Tim to overhear you," Sydney whispered.

"Babe, he has to know his stuff is weird," Adrian commented with a chuckle.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Tim said, walking up to Adrian and Sydney.

"Tim, hi…nice to see you," Sydney said. "This is my fiancée, Adrian. Adrian, this is Tim Dunne, the artist."

"Nice to meet you, Adrian," Tim said, offering his hand to shake. "Sydney tells me you're an artist too."

"Struggling, but yes," Adrian replied, shaking his hand in return.

"Aren't we all?" Tim said with a laugh. "I'd love to see your stuff sometime."

"I'm sure that could be arranged," he said without much conviction in his voice.

"Tim, who are your friends?" a woman asked, joining their group.

"I know you…why do I know you?" Sydney asked, looking at the woman.

"This is my assistant, Deanna," Tim introduced her. "Deanna, this is Sydney and Adrian."

"Starbucks!" Deanna said suddenly.

"Pardon? Oh! Now I remember," Sydney said. Deanna was the woman who ran into her.

"I hope your jacket is okay," Deanna said to her.

Sydney chuckled. "Yes, no worries. It's fine," she assured her.

"Well, it's nice to see you under less rushed circumstances. Tim told me what you were interested in, but there's something else I think you should see," Deanna encouraged her.

"Come have a drink with me, Adrian," Tim said, wrapping his arm around Adrian's shoulders. "We'll let the ladies work."

"See you later then," Sydney said to the gentlemen.

Deanna guided her to the back corner of the room. "Are you enjoying the show?" she asked her.

Sydney nodded her head. "Very much. It's really different than other openings I've been to," she told her.

"Tim is very special," Deanna said with a bright smile. She paused in front of a smaller canvas Sydney hadn't noticed before. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," Sydney agreed. "But I don't think it's quite right for Mr. Casey. It almost looks like something I'd put in my own home."

"Maybe you should consider building your own collection," Deanna said.

Sydney chuckled. "You're quite the saleswoman," she said to her.

"Between you and me Tim isn't so good at the business aspect. That's where I come in," Deanna said.

"I know how that goes," Sydney said. "I'll have to talk to Adrian, but I'll consider it," she told her.

"Great," Deanna said with a smile.

"How long have you been with Tim?" she asked her.

"Professionally a few years," Deanna said to her. "Personally over a year."

"Oh, I didn't mean to pry," Sydney said to her.

Deanna waved her hand. "No worries. I offered the information. How long have you been engaged?" she asked her.

"Since March," Sydney said. "Adrian and I have been in each other's lives for about five years, though."

"Sounds like there's a story there," Deanna said.

Sydney chuckled. "A long story. It just took me awhile to figure out we belonged together," she told her.

"Amanda says you have a daughter," Deanna said to her.

Mr. Bradly was right. Amanda really had a big mouth. Sydney nodded. "Yes, her name's Hadley," she told her.

"How old is she?" Deanna asked.

"She'll be four this year," Sydney confirmed.

"Do you have any pictures?" Deanna asked her.

"Yeah, on my phone…just hang on," Sydney said. She produced her phone from her purse and showed Deanna a few pictures.

Deanna took the phone from her hands and smiled as she flipped through the pictures. "She's just beautiful," she said with a smile.

"Thank you," Sydney replied. "Do you have any children?"

Deanna shook her head and handed her the phone back. "No, probably not in my future," she said sadly.

"I didn't think it was in mine either, but sometimes life surprises you," Sydney replied as she put her phone away.

"So, Sydney…what do you think?" Tim asked her as he and Adrian rejoined their group.

"I was just telling Deanna this looks like something I'd own, but it's not really Mr. Casey's taste," Sydney explained. "Can we make arrangements for Mr. Casey's pieces?" Sydney asked him.

"Deanna will handle that for you," Tim said. "If you'll excuse me I'm going to go back to mingling. Nice to see you again, Sydney. And nice meeting you, Adrian."

"Why don't you come with me to the office?" Deanna suggested.

"I'll be right back," she said to Adrian, who just nodded his head.

Deanna and Sydney went into the office to make the transaction. Sydney walked back out about ten minutes later and took a hold of Adrian's arm. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"More than ready," Adrian said. He retrieved their coats and they were off.

"What's up with you tonight?" Sydney asked him once they were outside. "I thought you'd have fun there."

"It wasn't the event," Adrian replied. "There was just something weird about Tim."

"What? Did he try to hit on you?" Sydney teased him. "Or did he not and you were disappointed?"

Adrian didn't even laugh at her joke. "No, it's not something I can put my finger on," he said to her.

She frowned. "Do you think I shouldn't be doing business with him?" she asked him. Tim was a little quirky, but he didn't seem shady.

Arian shook his head. "I don't know. Nevermind," he said.

"Do you still want to go out?" Sydney asked.

Adrian finally smiled. "Yes, let's get some dessert and a drink," he replied.

Sydney looped her arm through his and cuddled next to him as they walked a few blocks a nearby restaurant. Once inside they took their seats and ordered a dessert to share, a drink for Adrian, and coffee for Sydney.

"So when is Mr. Casey getting back?" Adrian asked her.

"It was supposed to be this weekend, but he extended the trip," Sydney told him.

"You didn't tell me that. Now you really don't have an excuse not to come with me," Adrian insisted.

"No, please…we are not going to have this fight again," Sydney told him. She thanked the waiter when he brought out their beverages.

"I don't know why you're being so stubborn," Adrian replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"And I don't know why you're being so pushy about it," Sydney said.

"Sydney, it's one thing I'm asking for," Adrian said. "Do you have any idea how many things I let go?"

Sydney made a face. "What does that mean?" she asked him.

Adrian shook his head. "Nevermind," he replied.

"No, you cannot say that and then not follow up with an explanation," she insisted.

"Fine," Adrian said, looking over to meet her eyes. "I think we should have another baby."

"No," Sydney said without hesitation.

"See," Adrian replied. "That's why I never brought it up." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"We already have a child," she said, as if that explained everything.

"Wow, Sydney…thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't realized," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You grew up with siblings, but I didn't. Being an only child sucks."

"But Hadley is…enough," Sydney said to him.

"It's because of the Dhampir thing, isn't it?" Adrian asked her.

"Shh, why don't you say that a little louder?" Sydney hissed at him.

"If we lived at Court saying DHAMPIR wouldn't be an issue," Adrian hissed back.

"Again with Court!" Sydney snapped.

"Should I come back…?" the waiter asked, holding their dessert in his hand.

"Sorry, just…leave it on the table," Adrian apologized.

The two stewed in a heavy silence until Sydney finally spoke up. "Hadley's…issues…they scare me. I don't want to do that to another child," she said softly.

"From what we understand about her issues they don't seem bad. You have magic too," he pointed out.

"But I don't practice it. I try to forget it exists," Sydney said.

"Why don't we just get out of here?" Adrian said, already up and on his feet.

Sydney didn't even bother to verbally respond. She stood up and put her coat on. Adrian settled the bill and they walked back to the gallery to get the car and then headed back to the apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks for all the support!_

Chapter Seven

"No, no!" Hadley whined. "Don't go, don't go!"

It was the morning of Adrian's departure and Hadley was none too thrilled that her father would be gone for a few days.

Adrian knelt down so he was eye level with her. "It won't be long," he said softly.

"But what if you don't comes back?" Hadley sniffled, her eyes welling up.

"I am coming back," Adrian said firmly. He sat down on the living room floor and scooped her into his lap.

Hadley burrowed herself against him and hugged tightly. "But you were gone long time before," she mumbled.

"Don't think about before," he said softly. It broke his heart too that he hadn't been there. He looked up at Sydney. 'Let me take her with,' he mouthed.

'Not without me,' Sydney mouthed back.

'Then come with,' Adrian replied.

'No!' Sydney silently exclaimed.

Adrian turned his attention back to Hadley. "Shh, baby doll. Listen, it's only for a few nights and besides your grandma's coming to visit. And you're going to get a new dress, right? You girls will have fun," he said softly.

"I don't likes it," Hadley said, looking up at him with her tear stained face. Her emotions were so high at the moment that a few books popped the shelf.

Sydney winced when she saw that happen. That would only fuel Adrian's desire to bring her to Court more. She had hoped he didn't notice, but the look in his eyes told her he had. Thankfully he didn't push the issue.

"I love you, Hadley, but it's time for me to go," he said. He gave her another hug and kiss before passing her over to Sydney. "I'll call when I land," he said. He pecked Sydney's cheek and then grabbed his bag and was out the door.

Sydney sighed as he left. She bounced Hadley in her arms a little. The crying seemed to have tired her out.

"Why don't we have some breakfast before grandma gets here?" Sydney suggested.

"Okays," Hadley agreed half heartedly.

Sydney held her on her hip while she cooked their food. Hadley didn't want to be put down for love nor money. She settled her in her lap and they ate while they waited. By the time they had finished Hadley was coming around. After they washed up and got dressed the doorbell buzzed.

"Why don't you go see who it is?" Sydney suggested.

Hadley hopped up on her step stool and hit the intercom. "Hellloooo?" she crooned.

"Hi, sweetheart. It's grandma!" Mrs. Sage's voice rang.

Sydney nodded her head. "Buzz her in," she instructed Hadley.

Hadley did as she was told and Sydney unlocked the door to their apartment. A few minutes later her mother materialized. After years of not being in her life Sydney got excited every time she saw her.

"There's my girls!" Mrs. Sage said with a smile. Hadley jumped up into her arms. She hugged her granddaughter and then gave Sydney a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"We're so happy you're here," Sydney said as she returned the hug.

"Happy, happy," Hadley chirped, this morning's meltdown now just a memory.

"Was the flight okay?" Sydney asked her as they settled in the living room.

Mrs. Sage nodded. "Everything was fine," she assured her. "So, what's on our agenda?" she asked her.

"I need a prettsy dress," Hadley explained to her grandmother.

Mrs. Sage nodded her head. "Yes, that's right," she agreed. "It looks like some shopping is in order."

The trio headed to the mall and spent the afternoon watching Hadley model party dress after party dress. Hadley definitely got her hammy side from her father. After much deliberation a white dress that would complement the bridesmaids' dresses was decided on. They went out for lunch and then headed back to the apartment so Hadley could nap.

"You seem a bit down," Mrs. Sage mused. She and Sydney had settled in the living room with a cup of coffee.

"Adrian and I have been fighting a little," she admitted to her.

"About what?" her mother asked.

"He wants to move back to Court," Sydney said. She decided not to get into the wanting another baby/Hadley situation. That was too hard to explain.

"And I'm guessing you don't," Mrs. Sage replied. "Why not?"

"I worked so hard to get away from that life," Sydney said to her.

"But things are different now," Mrs. Sage pointed out. "You aren't the same person you were back then."

Sydney sighed. "I know. I just like our life here. It's not complicated," she said. "And I know Adrian is suggesting this for the right reasons, but…"

"You've always been a little stubborn," her mother teased her.

"Mom!" Sydney said with a laugh.

"Honey, you're getting married. Some compromises are going to need to be made. It's not just about you anymore," Mrs. Sage said.

"I know," Sydney replied. "I just hate the idea of changing our lives around."

"It'd be an adventure," she reasoned. "And you've always liked those."

"Back in my youth," Sydney said.

"Back in your youth? You're still in your youth," Mrs. Sage snorted. "Maybe you can split your time?"

"Maybe. I guess I've been a little…unwilling to try and figure something out," Sydney replied.

Before the conversation could continue the doorbell buzzed and the phone rang. Sydney looked up startled. "Can you grab the phone?" she asked. Her mother nodded and Sydney went to see who was at the door.

"Delivery from Tim Dunne," the voice said.

"Oh, okay. I'll let you up," Sydney said. She buzzed him into the building.

"Adrian," her mother said to her. "I'll let Hadley talk to him while you take care of the door."

"Thanks," Sydney replied. She unlocked the front door and signed for the paintings for Mr. Casey. "I only ordered two things…"

"The order says three," the man replied.

"Okay. I'll just call the gallery later. Thanks," she said. The man set the pieces in the living room and then left.

"Daddy wants to talk to you!" Hadley said as she ran into the living room.

"Hey," she said, grabbing the phone. She pushed it against her ear so she could unwrap the paintings. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Adrian replied. "What are you doing? You sound all muffled."

"Mr. Casey's paintings came, but there's an extra one," she explained. "I'm trying to see what it is." She pulled the cloth away. "Oh, it's that painting Tim kept harping on. I guess it's a gift for us."

"That's umm…nice?" Adrian offered.

"Yeah, it is a little weird," she said with a chuckle. "How's it going there?"

"I miss you," Adrian said.

Sydney sat down on the couch. "I miss you too. Listen, there's a lot we need to talk about when you get back," she said.

"Good things, right?" Adrian asked with a little edge to his voice.

"Yes," she said quickly. "Nothing bad," she promised.

"Okay, good," he said letting out a sigh of relief. "You girls have fun. I'll call tomorrow and then see you on Sunday."

"Can't wait," she told him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Adrian replied and then the call ended.

Sydney called the number on Tim's business card after her mother and Hadley had gone to bed for the evening.

"Hello, Ms. Sage," Tim greeted her.

"Hi, Tim. How are you?" she asked him.

"Wonderful. The show was quite successful," he replied.

"So successful that you're gifting your work now?" she asked.

"I see you got my painting. I just wanted to thank you for your support," Tim replied.

"But that's such a big gift," Sydney said to him.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to just be grateful?" he teased her.

She chuckled herself. "Thank you, Tim. It's going to look great in the apartment."

"You're welcome, Sydney. I hope our paths cross again," Tim said to her.

"I'm sure they will. Good night," she said, hanging up the phone and then going to bed herself.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you for all the very sweet reviews!_

Chapter Eight

"Hello? Anyone home?" Adrian asked as he walked into the apartment on Sunday afternoon.

"Daddddddddy!" Hadley launched herself off the couch and crashed into her father's legs.

"Did you miss me or something?" Adrian teased her. He grabbed under her arms and lifted her up to him.

"You're backies!" Hadley squealed happily.

"I told you I would be," Adrian said and kissed her forehead. "Now tell me all about the weekend." He walked over to the couch and kissed Sydney hello while Hadley chattered on.

The weekend apart had given Sydney a lot of time to think. Her mother was right. She needed to compromise. Adrian had forgiven her for everything she had done and constantly gave without asking for anything in return. She could do this for him.

Sydney's mother walked out of the kitchen. "I thought I heard you come in. It's nice to see you, Adrian."

Adrian set Hadley down and stood up to greet Mrs. Sage. "It's nice to see you too," he said, giving her a hug. "Thanks for holding down the fort in my absence."

"The pleasure was all mine," Mrs. Sage replied.

They exchanged some more small talk, but Hadley wasn't too thrilled with the lack of attention so she started pawing at her father until he picked her up. Still not satisfied she grumbled to herself and that's when Sydney noticed the new painting on the wall start to shake. Oh boy.

"Hey, mom…we should start on dinner. I'm sure Adrian's hungry," Sydney said.

With Adrian's attention back on Hadley the shaking stopped and all seemed well again.

…

Later that night Sydney and Adrian settled on the couch in the living room.

"So are we going to have that talk?" he asked her.

"Fine, I'll admit it. I've been stubborn," Sydney said.

"Who? You?" Adrian asked in mock surprise.

"Shut up," she said with a laugh. "I've been thinking and you're right. We should move back to Court."

"You're kidding," Adrian said in disbelief. "I was not expecting that."

"Well, it's true," she said. "Hadley should understand who she is and you're right…it's safer and we'll have more support."

"You have no idea how happy this makes me," Adrian said, all joking aside now. He leaned over and hugged her close to him.

"Do you think maybe we could keep the place here…just for a little bit?" Sydney asked as she returned the hug. "It'd be nice to have a getaway."

"We could try. I guess it would depend on how things pan out financially," Adrian said after the pulled apart.

"Thanks," Sydney said with a smile.

"Now what about the other issue?" Adrian asked her.

"I'm still not comfortable having another baby right now," Sydney told him.

"Right now or ever?" Adrian asked.

"Well, ever, but I was trying to not start another fight," Sydney said.

"If we let some people at Court know about her abilities maybe they could help," Adrian said.

"Oh, yes…hi, this is our half vampire/half Alchemist magic wielding daughter…can you fix her?" Sydney asked. "That will go over really well."

"They don't have to fix her. There's nothing wrong with her," Adrian insisted. "I just think maybe someone might know something. They could help. This could be good."

Sydney sighed. "Okay, I'll think about the Hadley thing, but no new baby yet," she compromised.

Adrian grinned. "Yet. I can live with that," he said. Then he paused. "What the hell is that?" he asked, pointing to Tim's painting on the wall.

She looked behind her. "Oh, that's what Tim gave us," she replied.

"Can we give it back? It's hideous," Adrian asked.

Sydney snickered. "I thought you liked it when we saw it at the show," she said.

"No, you said you liked. I politely kept my opinion to myself," Adrian pointed out. "What is that black thing in the middle?"

"I don't know. He's abstract. You're the artist," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but I'm talented," Adrian said with a snicker.

"And mean," she said, scooting over into his lap.

He rested his hands on her hips. "And you are beautiful," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Okay, I'll change mean to sweet," she told him. She leaned down to peck his lips. He smiled against her lips as he pecked back. "How was Court?" she finally asked.

"Good," he told her. "You'd think we were the be all end all or something the way everyone's getting ready for the wedding."

Sydney chuckled. "So we're kind of a big deal, huh?" she asked him.

"Well, I've always known that," he replied. "So how do you want to handle the move and everything?"

"Let's wait until after the wedding. One big thing at a time," she said.

He nodded his head. "That makes sense. And we'll need to figure out how to tell Hadley everything," he added.

"Since she's young she might just be accepting," Sydney said.

"Yeah, you're probably right. She's pretty resilient anyway," he agreed.

"I feel better now that we're on the same page," Sydney said to him.

"No matter what we'll always make things work between us," he promised her.


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you for all your kind reviews!_

Chapter Nine

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. Before Sydney knew it they were readying themselves to head to Court that evening. The wedding would take place on Friday night.

Sydney and Adrian decided before things got too hectic they'd take Hadley to the zoo. It was a twofold plan as the outing would tire Hadley and she'd sleep on the plane ride.

"I'm getting tired just looking at her," Sydney said to him. Hadley was playing on the jungle gym in the middle of the picnic area.

"I bet we could leave her in the monkey exhibit. She'd fit right in," Adrian joked.

"Did you use call your baby a primate?" Sydney snickered.

"Something like that. We should head out. We still have a few errands to run," Adrian said. He got up to his feet and stretched his arms. "I'm going run to the bathroom. You grab Had," he said.

Sydney collected their belongings and walked closer to the jungle gym. "Hadley, let's go!" she called. She packed the cooler into Hadley's wagon. She looked up when the little girl didn't come to her. "Hadley Adrian! Now!" Still nothing.

Sydney's stomach began to knot up. "Hadley!" She scanned the crowd, her eyes seeing dozens of children but none of them hers. Her daughter was nowhere to be found.

"All set?" Adrian asked. "Where's Hadley?"

"I don't know," Sydney choked out.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Adrian asked, blinking in confusion.

"I mean she's not here," Sydney said, full panic setting in now.

"Of course she's here. Where could she have gone?" Adrian asked. "Hadley! This isn't funny. Come here!" he called.

They both abandoned their belongings and hurried around the park looking for the little girl.

"I'm going to tell security," Sydney said. She ran to the guest services area to report Hadley missing. Soon the zoo police as well as the regular police were involved.

The entire zoo was put on lockdown, but Hadley wasn't there. It appeared whoever had taken her left with her before the exits were sealed.

Sydney was a mess, but for her sake Adrian held it together reaching out to people he thought could help. By the next morning Eddie, Ms. Terwilliger, and Jared Sage arrived ready to aid the distraught parents.

"What is my dad doing here?" Sydney gasped as she walked out of their bedroom and into command central.

"I called your mother yesterday and she said he was on his way before we even hung up," Adrian explained. "Apparently he's been asking questions about us when she comes home from her visits and when you call."

"I just can't believe it…" Sydney said. She sat down on the couch.

"Melbourne," Ms. Terwilliger said to her.

Sydney looked up. "What do you need?" she asked her ex-teacher.

"Adrian told me about Hadley's abilities. We can use that to our advantage," she said to her.

"How will that help?" Sydney asked, still nervous about her father being in the same room as a Dhapmir, a Moroi, and a witch.

"The same way I tracked those girls with traces of magic surrounding them back when you were in school," Ms. Terwillinger said.

"Oh, the Veronica situation," Sydney recalled. "Yes, yes…that's a good idea. What can I do? I haven't practiced in so long." She quickly scrambled to her feet, happy to have a purpose that wasn't sitting on the couch.

"I'll gather a list of ingredients. And don't worry. Magic as strong as yours will never leave you," Ms. Terwillinger assured her.

"Sydney, what is this?" Eddie asked, pointing at Tim's painting on the wall.

"Art?" Sydney offered.

"No, this," Eddie said and pointed at the same black spot Adrian had pointed out weeks ago.

"I don't understand…" Sydney said in reply.

Eddie took the painting off the wall and grabbed a knife to cut out the black part of the painting.

"What are you doing?" Sydney exclaimed.

"It's a bug," Eddie reported.

"A bug?" Adrian asked in confusion.

"Someone's been listening in," Eddie confirmed as he pinched the bug between this fingers.

"Why would Tim bug a painting?" Sydney asked out loud.

"I knew there was something I didn't trust about him," Adrian said to her.

"Is this Tim?" Mr. Sage spoke up. He held up his laptop so Sydney could see the picture.

"Yes, that's him. What are you looking at?" Sydney asked him.

"It's a Strigoi database," Mr. Sage said to her.

"Tim's Strigoi?" Sydney asked. If she hadn't felt bad enough before she felt worse now. "He looks like a person. Oh my god, my daughter's with a Strigoi!?"

"We've been tracking him for months," Mr. Sage explained to her.

"But I didn't know…how could I…" Sydney stammered.

"All the more reason you shouldn't have just disappeared off the face of the earth," Mr. Sage snapped.

"Hey, now is not the time for that," Eddie snapped back.

"Guys, guys…okay, so we know who has her. That's good. Now how the hell do we get to her?" Adrian demanded.

"Melbourne! I need you in here now!" Ms. Terwillinger called from the kitchen.

Still slightly dazed Sydney went into the other room. "I need something of Hadley's," she told Sydney.

"Right, okay…" Sydney said. She ran to her daughter's room and grabbed a stuffed animal off of her bed. She returned to the kitchen where Ms. Terwillinger had set up everything they'd need for the spell.

Ms. Terwillinger grabbed her hand as she began to work. Sydney swallowed.

"The gallery…they're at the gallery right now," Ms. Terwillinger exclaimed. "Hadley's magic is stronger than you let on Sydney."

"I didn't know…" Sydney stammered. "Eddie! Dad! Adrian! The gallery. Now!" She flew out of the kitchen and ran towards the front door.

…

After a brief debate which resulted in a decision not to call the actual police, Sydney, Adrian, and the others made their way to the gallery. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Sydney prayed they weren't too late.

"I have the most experience with Strigoi," Eddie insisted. "I can go in and take them out."

"You can't go in there alone," Mr. Sage protested. "That's a suicide mission. They're strong. Stronger than they appear. I'm going with you."

As Eddie was about to protest Adrian spoke up, "Hey, we can decide who has a bigger dick later."

While they were arguing outside Sydney slipped in through an unlocked window on the side of the building. She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew she needed to get Hadley out of there. She had packed a few charms in her bag; hopefully Mrs. Terwillinger was right about her magic.

She landed with a soft thud on the ground inside the main gallery. She heard a noise coming from the front. She peered around the corner and saw Amanda bound and gagged at the reception desk.

Amanda's eyes grew big when she saw Sydney. She squeaked and wiggled against her restraints. Sydney rushed over to remove the gag from her mouth.

"Sydney! Thank god you're here! Tim and Deanna! They're crazy! I was opening up the gallery and Deanna just jumped me! I told you I didn't like her!" Amanda hissed.

"Do they have Hadley? Have you seen her?" Sydney asked as she worked on the ties binding Amanda's wrists.

Before Amanda could reply Sydney heard a familiar voice. "You have to call them off," Deanna said, appearing out of thin air.

"Where's Hadley? Why did you take her?" Sydney demanded.

"Hadley's with Tim. We have our family now," Deanna said to her.

"She's not your family. She's mine. Hadley!" Sydney called.

"When Tim and I were both turned we knew we'd never be able to have children, but now we can," Deanna said. "We've tried it before, but with Hadley's abilities I think it might work."

"Tried what before? What did you do to her?" Sydney demanded.

"Tried to awaken other children, of course," Deanna explained. "When Tim and I found out about you and your daughter we knew you'd be the ones."

"This whole thing was orchestrated?" Sydney asked her.

"Have you seen Tim's work? He's no artist. We've been watching you and your family for months. Everything we did was to get close to you," Deanna said. "Now you need to go back out there and call off your dogs."

'Are you crazy?' is what Sydney wanted to ask, but she knew she'd have to take care of this calmly. "Can I see her? I just need to know she's okay," Sydney said softly. "Then you can go."

"You'll do what I asked?" Deanna asked her.

Sydney nodded her head, trying to keep as calm as possible. "I promise. Hadley can complete your family. You were so nice that first day I met you. I know I can trust you with my daughter."

Deanna smiled and seemed to believe her. "I'm glad you see things our way," she said to her. She looked over at Amanda. "You stay put," she said. "Follow me," she beckoned Sydney.

Sydney turned around and looked at Amanda. 'Get outside!' she mouthed. Amanda nodded her head. As they walked towards the office Sydney saw a shadow pass by the unlocked window.

"Hadley, someone's here to say good bye," Deanna said to her.

Sydney was relieved to see her daughter unharmed, but still terrified that neither one of them was going to make it out alive.

"Mommy!" Hadley exclaimed. She tried to run towards Sydney, but Tim kept her close to him.

"What is she doing here?" Tim hissed at her.

"I thought they should get some closure," Deanna said to him.

"You're too sentimental!" Tim said, obviously exasperated.

"Mommy, I want to go home," Hadley whimpered.

"Shut up!" Tim said. "I need to think. I need to think." He started pacing back and forth as Hadley started crying harder.

"Think about what?" Deanna asked.

"How stupid are you? She's not on our side!" Tim hissed at her.

"Sydney's going to tell them when she got inside we were gone and then we can escape," Deanna explained to him.

"And you believe her?" Tim asked.

"She knows this is what's best. She told me," Deanna replied. "She wants us to be happy."

Tim eyed her suspiciously as Sydney kept glancing between the door and Hadley. "What is she looking…"

Before he had a chance to finish his question Eddie burst into the room and attacked Tim from behind, wrapping his arms around his neck and squeezing hard. Tim stumbled, clearly not expecting him. Eddie tried to pin him down to the ground, but now that the element of surprised was gone Tim was able to untangle himself from Eddie's grasp. Now face to face Tim lunged at Eddie, but Eddie was too quick and got out of the way in time causing Tim to stumble forward. Eddie took his momentary loss in footing to lunge himself and slam Tim into the hardwood floor. They struggled on the ground, throwing punches until Eddie was finally able to keep Tim still. He reached into his back pocket for his silver stake.

"Noooooooo!" Deanna exclaimed. She grabbed the stake from Eddie's hand in an attempt to use it on him, but it flew out of Deanna's grasp and back into Eddie's hand. Though she didn't know it Hadley's magic had just saved Eddie's life. In one fluid motion he plunged the stake deep into Tim's chest.

Deanna screamed and lunged at Eddie, but she was operating on pure emotion and not able to put up much of a fight. During all the commotion Sydney ran and scooped up her daughter, holding her tightly against her chest. She buried the little girl's face against her so she wouldn't see Eddie end Deanna's life.

"It's okay, Had. You're okay," she murmured softly into her hair. She looked over at Eddie. "What do we do now?" she asked him.

"Do you know a dissolving charm or something?" Eddie asked, panting slightly. He hadn't seen this much action in a long time.

"Um, I think I do," Sydney said. "Can you take Hadley out to Adrian? And tell them to use compulsion on Amanda. I'll take care of the rest."

Hadley reluctantly went into Eddie's arms and he hurried her outside to Adrian and the rest of their group.

Sydney knelt down next to the motionless Tim and Deanna. How could she not have realized how dangerous they were? She swallowed and took a few items out of her bag. The second she started the spell she felt the familiar heat of the magic coursing through her. Within minutes there was no trace of either one of them. She let out a sigh of relief. This nightmare was finally over. She cleaned up after herself and went outside, never looking back.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you to everyone who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. I can't tell you how much your support means to me. Look for the final installment of this series soon!_

Chapter Ten

After Hadley was checked over and Eddie and Sydney were questioned at the police station everyone returned back to the apartment rather exhausted. Eddie and Mrs. Terwillinger would be leaving the next morning, but Mr. Sage wasn't going to stay.

"I can't thank you enough for coming," Sydney said as they waited for his cab to arrive.

"I'm glad it all worked out," Mr. Sage said, all business as usual.

"The wedding's going to be postponed, but…maybe I could send you an invitation when we decide on a new date?" Sydney offered.

Mr. Sage smiled a little. "Maybe you could," he said. As his cab pulled up he gave her a brief hug and then disappeared into the night.

When Sydney rejoined everyone else upstairs she found that Adrian was the only one still awake. He was sitting in the recliner with Hadley in his lap.

He looked up when Sydney walked inside. "I don't think I can let her go," he whispered.

Sydney knelt down beside him. "I know," she said softly. She kissed the back of Hadley's head. The three sat their quietly for a little while before Hadley fussed that she wanted to lie down. Reluctantly Adrian put her to bed and then joined Sydney in their room.

"I'm sorry I put off us moving to Court," Sydney said to him as he sat down on the bed next to her. "If we weren't here this wouldn't have happened."

"Babe, you can't blame yourself. You didn't know Tim was…crazy," he whispered. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed tightly.

"I just feel so guilty," Sydney said.

He kissed her forehead gently. "The important thing is we're all safe now, okay?" he murmured.

"My dad might come to the wedding," Sydney said, looking up at him.

Adrian smiled. "Now that is good news," he said to her.

"We're going to have to rearrange everything," she said with a sigh.

"That's the least of our problems," Adrian assured her. He pressed his lips to hers. "But I think we could work on the wedding night stuff right now," he teased.

"Now that I am looking forward to taking care of," she said with a laugh as they leaned back on the bed and got lost between the sheets.

…

A few months later, Sydney, Adrian, and Hadley traveled to Court for the wedding. Their lives were back to normal now…well at least their kind of normal. Adrian was painting again; after all they needed something to hang on the walls of their new place. And despite her reservations Sydney was working with Hadley to control her magic and had agreed to talk to a Moroi doctor about their daughter.

True to his promise Mr. Sage came to the ceremony and Zoe as well. Sydney was thrilled her whole family was there to share in her special day.

"I do," Sydney said, echoing Adrian's earlier vow.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the official said.

Without even waiting for the cue Adrian leaned in and pressed his lips to Sydney's. She was equally eager to share the kiss.

"We're married now," Adrian murmured after the kiss ended and everyone began to clap.

"Ugh, there is no getting rid of you now," Sydney teased him.

"Vice versa," he teased her back, smiling brightly. "I don't think it's possible to be any happier than I am right now," he said softly.

"Me either," she said, smiling herself. "We have our new house, our daughter, each other…and one more thing," she said.

"One more thing?" Adrian asked curiously.

"I'm pregnant," Sydney whispered.

Adrian's eyes widened. "You're…what?" he stammered.

"The night we got Hadley back…we weren't exactly safe," she reminded him.

"Are you kidding?" Adrian asked her.

She chuckled. "Why would I kid about something like that?" she asked him. Adrian's eyes welled up a little. "Adrian…"

"I lied…it is possible for me to be happier," Adrian said softly.

Sydney smiled and kissed him gently, a kiss full of promise to continue making him as happy as he made her.


End file.
